Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi's T20I careers over? Ignored for Pakistan's tours of...

The T20I careers of Pakistan stalwarts Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi appear to be nearing their end, as the team management and selection committee have reportedly informed them that they are not needed for the shortest format, at least for the time being. This trio, regarded as the backbone of Pakistan cricket across all formats over the past five to six years, will not be included in the Pakistan T20I squad for the upcoming series against West Indies and Bangladesh, according to a report by news agency PTI, citing sources.

The report indicated that PCB selectors Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafiq, along with newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson, have already communicated to Babar, Rizwan, and Afridi that they will not be considered for T20Is. They have been advised to concentrate on ODIs and Tests. The announcement of the Pakistan T20I squad for the series against West Indies and Bangladesh is expected next week. These two series are scheduled to take place in July and August.

Pakistan is set to tour the West Indies in the last week of July to compete in three T20 internationals and three ODIs. Following their Caribbean tour, Pakistan will head to Bangladesh for a three-match T20 series, with proposals to extend it to a five-match series in August. Additionally, Pakistan is scheduled to host Afghanistan for a T20 series in late August, all in preparation for the Asia Cup in September (which has yet to be confirmed) and the ICC World T20 Cup early next year.

A source close to a national selector informed PTI that the panel and Hesson are keen to provide ample opportunities for new young players in the T20 squad for the upcoming series.

Babar is expected to announce his debut in the Big Bash for the Sydney Sixers later this week after the board granted him and several other players NOCs to participate in the event from December 28 to late January.

The three senior players have not been selected for the national T20 squad in Pakistan’s last two series against New Zealand and Bangladesh, and prior to that, Babar was also excluded from the T20 series in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

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